Body brace



April 1?@ m25.

BODY BRAGE Filed Nov. 17, 1923 2 Sheets-Shget l April 7, 1925.' .1,532,304

D. v. cuNNlNG BODY Bamm Filed Nov. 17, 192s 2 snags-sheet 2 I NI/ENTOR. (Iulnz'nda ATTORN Y.

Patented Apr. 7, 1925.

reirse *stereos` neuem, criminel@ reim-Gerer@ @die eers @we vAppnmion mea Novemper-17,-1eee. vserial No. 675,403.

To @ZZ whom z' may concern.' l

Be it known that i, DONALD V. Giannino, a citizen of the United States, 'residing at Youngstown, in theA county of Mahoning and State or Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Body Braces, of which the followingis 'a specilication, reference being had to the lacc'onr panying drawings.

l0 v, y

ments in body braces end hipsv relation' mor-e particularly to a device of this 'general chvarf acter especiellyf designed'- and `*adapted"for use`r in'cfonne'ction' Awith the shoulders and Lipper portion off' the and it is an object of the inventionto provide rtnovel end improved' brace including a beltl portion adapted to be disposed around the'hips just beloivthe crest otth'efilium'or more vparticularly about one inch below the protrud-l ing points'ot the Zhip bones whereby the belt portion is prevented from slipping 'up air resulting in an added brace' tothe entire upper portion of the body. Y f" Another obje'ct'ofthe invention is to provide a novel and improveddevice, of this general character formed 'from strips oit pure gum rubber whereby the 'device adheres with firmness to the'flesh or` clothing. 0 Another object Vorthe'invention is to provide adelvice'l of this general character possessing great` elasticity and strength combin@ ing to? hold the shoulders :and body erect yet offering no hindrance or obstruction to the perfect freedoniof every muscle.

*iAnadditional obje-ct'of the invention is to provide'a novel and improved device ot thisv general character' possessing requisite stretchwith a powerful V'come'-baclr, two fea'- tures essential to rendering the device -both comtortable and'eiective," Y

litV 'is also an obfjectfof the invention to provide la, novel and'imprbve'd' device of this 'general charac i `which sanitary 'and which Ydoesinot"bindunder the arms .thereby leaving the "armpits entirelyffree from presmpuwel. i K, i o Y Furthermore it is an object 'of the inventioln to provide e novel land" improved deno vice this genera-l character erii'bodying in its structure what may be ytermed a block and tackle adjustment wherebyfthe device imay .be used with a maximum of efficiency to Aeiftively rbrace thebody and particularly the shoulders'.

`T ,lie invention consists the details of 'fi-his invent'on relates tocert-ain improve-` the-,buckles i5; l

l The members 2 have their converging end With albuclle 9 preferably of the type construction and the Combination and ein rangement-oai the several parts of my improved body brace whereby certain important advantages e attained and the device rendered simpler, less expensive and other- Wise more convenient and 'advantageous for use will be hereinafter morev fully set forth Y in "The novel features of my. illu-@1111MB Will hereinafter be" deinitely claimed.

reorder that' my invention may be f1.1@ better understood-,il will new proceed te clef scribe theslle; 'with c lell e C.' .t Gf compenying drawings', w i ref, Eig-ure lis e' v'eivn perspective of ,the brace constructed in accordance with e511 embodiment of my invention unerrled;

Figure 2 is a detailed.v sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2`ot 'Figure l 'Figure 3 is al front elevational Yview ofthe device japplied, the coacting body being diaeremmatcelly indicated; Figure l is a rView in side eleve-tion illustrating the device applied, the bodyybeing diogrammatically indicated; i

Figure 5 is a rear elevational view showing the device applied the body beine" als@ deermnmetiely idaieilf i My improved brace herein ,dise-,19Std comprises an elongated" strip oit' material preferably pure gum rubber, said strip at its central portion constituting e. shprt meinber l continued by Ythe inwardly `and 1Lpweardly extended members 2. The portions of the members 2 and theadjacent portion of the member l being connected, as at y3,

vto provide the loops il, the outer walls oi said loops d being disposed on downward and inward inclines `with respect l' to the member 1. Engaged within the loops Il are thefbiiclrles 5 ot desired typeend through which are freely directed 'the continued portions `e' or the members?, rsaid continued tions @providing ,loops edapted to be engaged over the dioulders of the :we erer, seid loops being `readily adjustable to size by requisite slippageor" portions Ztlirough portions in overlapping relationenpl are suitably connected one tothe :ot-ligeras at 8. One .extremity of the strip is p r 'ded generally employedin connection'V with .an ordinary belt and with which .is eddpfted' Jto be engaged ,the Seolld .Glellllfy @if Cil.

strip as is clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

The portions 7, of the strip outwardly of thel buckles 5 are provided'with the longitudinally spaced openings 10 whereby may be adjustably connected, as at 10, therewith the extremities of the belt or body encircling members 11 of elastic material and also preferably pure gum rubber. rEhese members 11 extend one across the other and the overlapping portions thereof are scoured together, as at 12, said overlapping portions of the members 11 are provided with the longitudinally spaced openings 14 whereby the connection 12 may be adjusted as the requirements of practice may necessitate. The extremities of the members 11 are also secured7 as at v15, to the portions 7 of the strip at desired points inwardly of the extremities thereof, the end portions of the members 11 being provided with the longitudinally spaced openings 16 and the adj acent parts of the portions 7 being also provided with the longitudinally spaced openings 17 whereby such connections 15 may be adjusted as required.

,Theportions 6 of the strip outwardly of but in relatively close proximity to the Vconnection 8 have interposed therebetween and secured thereto the strip 18 of elastic material preferably of pure gum rubber.

The connecting or fastening means 1G', 12 and 15 may be of any type preferred whereby the requisite adjustments may be obtained although as herein disclosed each of such mea-ns comprises a headed shank 2O with Awhich is detach-ably engaged aholding'plate In practice, the loops 6 are engaged over the shoulders with the buckles 5 below the shoulder blades, the patient is then caused to throw back the shoulders and expand the chest to the utmost when the strip is gently pulled through the buckles 5 to adjust the same to the body and at the proper tension. In applying the device, the member 1 and strip 18 are at the back with the member 1 adjacent to the small of the back. The portions 7 of the strip are then extended forwardly around the bod-y and secured, with their extremities connect-ed together, in front just below the crest of the iliuin. .ll/*hilfe the members 11 are extended forwardly around the body and suitably secured to the port-ions 7, said members 11 preferably extend one inch below the protruding points of the hip bones to prevent said members 11 and the adjacent portion of the device from slipping upwardly of the body and to give add-ed brace to the entire upper portion of the body.

By having the various members or strips formed of pure gum rubber, the device will adhere to the flesh orI to the clothing much firmer than when made of other material and also provides strength and great elasticity combining to hold the shoulders and body erect yet allowing perfect freedom of every muscle in the body. rlhe device Vas herein disclosed has stretch and a powerful come-back, two essential features to assure the device being both comfortable and'eiiiective. 'Y i The device is also highly sanitary as it ,can be readily washed and is also durable and light in weight making the brace effective for children as well as adults. rlfhe device as herein disclosed does not bind under th, arms as thel portions' do not encircle the arms thereby leaving the armpits entirely free from pressure.

rlh-e structure as afforded vby the buckles 5 provides` what may be called a block and tackle pull below the shoulder blades whereby the device is highly effective for the purposes desired.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a body brace constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reai son of the convenience `and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reasonjl do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the. precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shownin carrying out my invention in practice except as hereinafter claimed.

l' claim l. A brace of the class described comprising an elongated elastic strip having its central portion providing a short member, the extremities of saidA member being'coinV tinued by upwardly and inwardly disposed members one crossing the other at a point closely adjacent to the short member, means for connecting said second named members adjacent their junctions to the short member to provides loops, buckles engaged within said loops, said second named members being continued and disposed through the buckles to provide loops adapted to be engaged over the shoulders of the wearermeans for connecting the overlying portions of the second members, means for adjustably connecting ther'free extremities of said second members, the portions of th-e second members outwardly of the buckles being adapted to be disposed forwardly around the body of the wearer tor connection in front just belowv the crest of the. ilium, and a strip secured to each of said members outwardly of the bucklethrough which said men'iber is dis posed and to thevother of said second named members at a point outwardly of the buckle through which the other of said second named members is directed.

2. A brace of the class described comprising an elongated elasticstrip having its cen? tral portion providing a short member, the extremities or' said member being continued by upwardly, and inwardly disposed members one crossing the other at a point closely adjacent to the short member, means for connecting said second named members adjacent their junctions to the short member to provide loops, buckles engaged within said loops, said second named members being continued and disposed through the buckles to provide loops adapted to be engaged over the shoulders of the wearer, means for connecting the overlying portions of the second members, means for adjustably connecting the free extremities of said second members,

` the portions of the second members out- Lwardly of the buckles'being adapted to be disposed forwardly around the body of the wearer for connection in front just below the crest of the'ilium, a strip secured to each of vsaid members outwardly of the buckle through which said member is disposed and yto the other' of said second named members l DONALD V. CUNNING. 

